The present invention relates to a combination of at least one tire carrying rim seated and locked by fastening assemblies or means on a vehicle wheel. A combination of dual inner and outer tire carrying rims may be mounted on a vehicle wheel without using a separating means, such as an annular spacer.
The spoke members of a single wheel and the inner spoke members of a dual wheel have a felly, felloe or load-bearing portion with a radially inclined outer surface adjacent to a radially directed inner surface.
The outer spoke members of a dual wheel have a felly, felloe or load-bearing portion with radially outer dual axially oriented surfaces and a radially directed surface extending inwardly between the axially oriented surfaces.
In several embodiments, a rim, whether mounted as a single, inner dual or outer dual, may be of an identical and, therefore, interchangeable construction. The rims have radially outwardly directed bead flanges and radially inwardly projecting mounting flanges. The mounting flanges are integrally attached to and mounted beneath a rim portion between the bead flanges and have a medial portion comprising a radially inclined surface, a transitional portion and a radially directed terminal portion.
An initial tightening of the fastening assemblies or means for a single or dual wheel will seat the radially inclined mounting flange surfaces in concentric radial registry with the radially outer surfaces on the spoke members. Thereafter, the seated rims will be locked on the spoke members, in axial and radial alignment and registry, by further tightening of the fastening assemblies or means against the terminal portion of each rim mounting flange and the full surface engagement thereof with a radially directed wheel felloe surface. The mounting flanges are proportioned or dimensioned such that during final tightening, a fastening assembly or means will elastically stress or minutely deform the mounting flange medial, transitional and terminal portions relative to the plane of the radially directed wheel felloe surfaces to provide the full axial and radial alignment and registry of rim to wheel.
The prior art relating to tire carrying rims demountably carried on vehicle wheels includes patents to be found in Class 301 beginning with Subclasses 10 R. Other relevant patents may be found in Class 152, Subclasses 406 X et seq.
The accurate mounting of tire carrying rims on the felloe, felly or load-bearing portion of a wheel has long been a problem in the art. Vehicle operations and industry regulations seek longer tire life and complete safety in operation, even under the most severe of vehicle operating conditions. The tire manufacturers are endeavoring to provide tires which have optimum performance characteristics, including lateral and radial balance. Consequently, it is being required that this art provide elements, the wheels, the rims, and fastening assemblies or means therefor, which do not deteriorate, hinder or impair the projected performance characteristics of the tires.
Heretofore, the spoked wheel structure of a tire-rim-wheel assembly has been regarded primarily as a load carrying element attached to an axle of the vehicle and carrying the rim. The periphery of the wheel had felly surfaces to pilot or guide the rim into approximate mounting position. Thereafter, fastening assemblies or means were torqued down or tightened in such a manner that the tire carrying rim would not come loose from the wheel during use. If done correctly, as by an expert and conscientious mechanic, the prior art rim mounting techniques would not deteriorate, hinder or impair the performance characteristics of the tires. However, environmental or extrinsic factors such as warpage, deformation or damage to the rim and spacer or wear of the fastening assemblies or means could lead to relative displacement or non-alignment of the assembly components during fastening, creating conditions of what are now commonly referred to as excessive lateral (axial) or radial runout, or an imbalance of the tire-rim-wheel assembly during vehicle operation.
The concepts of the invention provide wheel spoke members with proportioned or dimensioned felloe surfaces for mating, seating or full surface engagement with coacting surfaces on the rim mounting flange medial and terminal portions by full tightening of the fastening assemblies.
A rim with a mounting flange and fastening assemblies or means therefor according to the invention, when used with wheels adapted thereto, positively controls and reduces lateral (axial) and radial runout, resists rim warpage or deformation, restricts rim rotation relative to the wheel and provides better balance for the tire-rim-wheel assembly during vehicle operation.